Yes, I am actively recruiting prospective MA and PhD students through York University’s Social and Personality Psychology program.

I am especially interested in applicants whose interests fit closely with the Human Connection Lab’s research on social connection and loneliness, leadership and status, gender disparities in groups, cultural norms, and computational approaches to understanding social behaviour.

The deadline to submit a complete application to the York University Graduate Program in Psychology is December 1. Applications typically open in mid-October. Because applicants must arrange references and prepare several supporting documents, I strongly recommend beginning the process early.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to email me in late summer or early September, before applying. Please briefly describe your academic background, research interests, relevant research or technical experience, and how your interests connect with the lab’s current work. You may also attach a current CV.

Graduate applicants should apply through York University’s formal graduate admissions process. The undergraduate lab application form on this page is not used for MA or PhD admissions.

Review the graduate application instructions ↗

In principle, I'm interested in innovative research on any aspect of leadership, social status, group dynamics, and human connection, from theoretical questions about why people gain influence or become disconnected, to novel methods, including computational and natural-language approaches, for studying these questions in psychology, organizations, and everyday social life. Applied work that makes a genuine empirical contribution or sheds new light on an existing question is just as welcome as more theoretical work.

Doing research in this space is challenging but rewarding. I look for originality of ideas, and I care most about working with students who are genuinely curious and motivated about research on human connection, rather than any particular prior background or credential.

Student projects may examine leadership and status in groups, gender disparities, social connection and loneliness, cultural variation, or the ways social ideas are expressed in public discourse.

Depending on the project, students may work with experiments, surveys, group-interaction data, multinational datasets, archival material, natural-language data, or computational methods.

The format of lab activities varies by project. Some work may take place in person, while other meetings and research tasks may be completed remotely or in a hybrid format.

Briefly describe your academic background (including any independent research projects or undergrad thesis research), research interests, and relevant coursework or experience. Importantly, describe one or two potential research questions you might be interested in pursuing.

It is also helpful to include a CV or résumé, and an unofficial transcript. Also let us know whether you are interested in the MA or PhD program, or both.

Prior experience is useful but is not required for every role. Different projects require different skills, and some positions are suitable for students who are still developing their research methods, statistics, or programming background.

Applicants should accurately describe their current experience with tools such as R, Python, SPSS, Qualtrics, GitHub, data management, machine learning, natural-language processing, or qualitative coding. A strong interest in developing new technical and methodological skills is also important.

Undergraduate opportunities may be available through independent research projects, honours theses, volunteer research positions, or paid research-assistant roles.

Opportunities depend on current projects, supervision capacity, relevant experience, and the amount of time a student can commit. Interested undergraduate students should complete the lab application rather than sending only a general expression of interest.

Submit undergrad lab application

I'm generally able to write letters for students I've worked with closely and who have been in the lab for at least two terms — for example, IRP students, thesis students, or others I've supervised directly. That kind of sustained experience lets me write a letter that speaks specifically and convincingly to your skills and potential.

If our only interaction was through a course, I'm usually not in a strong position to write a detailed letter, since our more limited interaction means there is often little I can add beyond your grade. In that case, an instructor, TA, or supervisor who knows your work more closely may be able to write a stronger letter on your behalf.

If you'd like to request a letter, please email me at least four weeks before your first deadline, with a reminder one week before that deadline. Please include your CV, your transcript, the programs or positions you're applying to, a list of the specific tasks and accomplishments from our work together, and a note of anything in particular you'd like me to be sure to include.